After the unprecedented challenges of the last year, there are many things we will have all learnt about ourselves.\u00a0 From better understanding your tolerance for working alone at home, experimenting with how to better manage your work\/life balance or even how to incorporate more personal health and wellness into your life, we had a unique opportunity to try things at a different pace and in a different way.<\/p>\n
The global health pandemic had been a once in a lifetime event that has touched us all in some form. \u00a0Both the physical and mental implications are understandably taking their toll on people as we creep our way back into a lifestyle that feels a little more normal.<\/p>\n
As we reflect on the last year, the issue of personal resilience is an important one because it will shape how we deal with and move on from not just the challenges of the last year, but all of the daily challenges that cause stress and increased pressure.<\/p>\n
Defining resilience <\/strong><\/p>\n The Cambridge Dictionary defines resilience as:<\/p>\n \u201cthe ability to be happy [\u2026] after something bad has happened\u201d.<\/p>\n Psychology Today adds a little more colour to this:<\/p>\n \u201cResilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes.\u201d<\/p>\n As with many traits, it has a definition that\u2019s open to interpretation but essentially, it\u2019s about our ability to bounce back.\u00a0 It\u2019s a trait that calls for optimism and positivity rather than wallowing and despairing.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s in day-to-day life or as a result of something more significant, it is our own personal level of resilience that is key to helping us deal with what\u2019s going on and move on from it.<\/p>\n Fighting back against life<\/strong><\/p>\n There are many triggers that stop you feeling resilient, especially if you are naturally more of a \u2018glass half empty\u2019 kind of person.\u00a0 As a pessimist, it can be easy to catastrophize and create additional pressure or make assumptions around situations which make it harder to deal with them rather than easier.<\/p>\n The environment around you can also have a big influence on your resilience levels.\u00a0 If you work in a challenging workplace in which success can be hard to reach, or have pressures in your homelife that are draining you of positivity, then it\u2019s important to recognise this and understand the impact it\u2019s having.<\/p>\n It can he helpful to benchmark your own level of resilience; there are several online quiz tools<\/a> that can help you identify your baseline.\u00a0 By understanding your default reaction to adversity, you can identify what you can do to strengthen this.<\/p>\n The big question – is resilience inherent or learnt?<\/strong><\/p>\n Resilience, as with many traits and characteristics, is very personal to an individual. But is it true that you either have it or you don\u2019t? Can resilience be developed if it isn\u2019t your natural style?<\/p>\n Flexibility, adaptability, and perseverance are all things that can help people tap into their resilience by changing certain thoughts and behaviours. \u00a0Research has shown<\/a> that those who believe intellectual abilities and social attributes can be developed show a lower stress response to adversity and improved performance.<\/p>\n What this means is that by changing the way we think, we can open ourselves up to a stronger level of resilience.\u00a0 However, developing resilience is both complex and personal. It involves a combination of inner strengths and outer resources, and there isn\u2019t a universal formula for becoming more resilient.<\/p>\n In Part 2 of our resilience blog, we\u2019ll explore some of the ways in which you can build up your resilience and how this can help you grow and develop.<\/p>\n